


Let Us Be Lovers (We'll Marry Our Fortunes Together)

by Dragongoddess13



Series: Memory Brushes the Same Years, Silently Sharing The Same Fears [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, America, F/M, I don't think this counts as slow burn, Past Child Abuse, simon and garfunkel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-18 15:17:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18122900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragongoddess13/pseuds/Dragongoddess13
Summary: Sara decides to take a year off before she starts college. She’s burnt out and just needs to figure out if what she’s been working for all her life is really what she wants to do for the rest of her life. So she decides to pack up her little pick up that she bought and fixed up working odd jobs after school and in the summer, and travel the country, seeing as much as she can.Leonard Snart is just trying to make ends meet. After winning custody of his sister after his father was convicted of murder, he left her in the care of their grandparents to take a temporary job across the country. He promised her he would be back in time for her birthday, which is a week after the job is supposed to end. That gives him plenty of time to get his old beater back to Central. Except he wasn't counting on his car finally giving up halfway there, stranding him at a roadside motel where he meets a young woman with wanderlust.Sara meets Leonard and decides to give him a ride, because every little sister needs their older sibling, especially one whose given up what Leonard has to make sure she never goes without.What transpires is a road trip for the ages.





	1. I've Got Some Real Estate Here In My Bag

**Author's Note:**

> This story is finished, I just need to edit the chapters as I post them.   
> The Title of the story and the chapters are lyrics from the song America by Simon and Garfunkle, which inspired this story.

Let Us Be Lovers (We’ll Marry Our Fortunes Together)

Part 1: I’ve Got Some Real Estate Here In My Bag

xXx

Sara doesn’t think she wants her whole life to be planned out for her. She knows that it’ll be so much easier that way, but she isn’t looking for easy. Her father wanted a lawyer and a doctor, two professions that will guarantee his children will be well taken care of for the rest of their lives. Well, Laurel is well on her way to law school, and Sara is expected to start Pre-Med in the fall. There’s just one problem. 

She doesn’t actually want to be a doctor. 

Or at least she doesn’t think she does. It’s something she’s been working for all her life. Good grades, references, community service, everything she needs to pad an application into a prestigious school, but for the life of her she can’t remember if it was all done because she agreed with her father, or because he convinced her. 

She could remember her toys growing up; plastic doctor’s kits, doctor barbie, even her GI Joes were medics. But she didn’t buy her own toys growing up. Her father bought them for her. 

At nineteen, Sara thinks there are too many questions and not enough answers. So, she decides to pack up the little pick up she’d bought and fixed up, with the intention of traveling cross country to see what’s outside her little world. She wants to see the country, to see what it has to offer. The sights, the sounds, the beauty. There’s a whole wide world out there and she wants to discover it. 

Her father does not agree. 

He can’t stop her. She’s an adult after all and if she wants to leave she can, but he fights her tooth and nail on every decision that doesn’t lead to medical school. He always has. It takes her sister and her mother coming between them to finally get them to compromise. 

The deal is simple. She has the summer to find something else. A different career, a better idea of what she wants. Come September, if she’s not ready to settle on something else she has to come home and go to school as planned. Sara agrees, determined to find something, anything that will prove she’s not just losing focus, that there’s something legitimately wrong with her life’s plan. 

The day after her graduation party, she gets in her pick up early in the morning and heads east, right out of Southern California. She’s packed enough clothes that she won’t have to stop and do laundry every two days and snacks to save money on overpriced rest stop food. She’s taken the camping gear her grandfather bought her for her sixteenth birthday in case a hotel doesn’t feel quite right and her trusty 70’s era pentax camera, the one she found in a pawn shop and somehow managed to get working again. There’s about a hundred rolls of film in a bag under the seat just waiting to be filled with pictures. 

She takes two days to drive to the grand canyon. She knows it’s cliche, but she’s never seen it before and there’s nothing that mystifies her more than the wonder of nature. She spends two nights at a campsite near by, traveling back and forth to the canyon and filling three rolls of film. 

Sara heads north to Monument Valley next. It’s only a three hours drive from the Grand canyon, but it takes her nearly a day and half to get there. She stops at every roadside attraction that catches her attention, even grabs some fresh produce from a farmer’s stand for dinner that night. She camps again, roasting vegetables over an open fire with some lean meat she picked at a local grocer six miles south. 

Monument Valley is as breathtaking as The Grand Canyon and Sara can’t understand why there are those who turn their noses up at things like this. She gets that tourist traps can be a bit much for the casual observer, but staring up at the natural monoliths in the desert, it all seems worth dodging strollers and jorts wearing dads in hawaiian shirts. 

She bids the red monuments goodbye as she doubles back for Oregon, specifically crater lake. She’d met a few travelers like herself and while she had declined to join them, they had pointed her in the direction of the lake. The morning she makes it to the lake’s edge, the sky is clearer than she ever remembers seeing it back home in the haze of the city. The blue seems endless as it melds with the crystal clear water below. She sets up her camera for a long exposure and just basks in the warm early morning sun. Of her stops so far, she spends the longest time there. There’s just something about the water that soothes her. 

Eventually she needs to get back on the road and she decides to head southeast. She wants to see the Redwoods and Yosemite, but she endeavors to do that on the return trip. 

Her first night in New Mexico, she plans on camping near the Carlsbad Caverns. She’s spent all day wandering the caverns with a tour group and she’s considering going back again in the morning. Unfortunately, mother nature has other plans, so she wraps up her overnight bag with all her essentials and valuables and finds a little motel just off an old dirt highway. 

She ducks into the office, just after nightfall and makes her way to the desk. The motel screams seventies, the carpet a hexagonal pattern of red orange and yellow. The walls are wood panel from the base boards to the center and above that they’re a faded golden yellow. Sara thinks the owners were probably going for Overlook luxury but it falls short somewhere between a Vegas gambler’s last resort and the last stop on the highway to hell. It looks clean though, so gaudy or not she won’t be turning her nose up at it. 

Sara makes her way to the front desk, the bottom half the same paneling as the walls, the top a light yellow marbled formica. A red, leather bound guest book sits open on the counter top and beside it a silver call bell. She’s aware of the tall man at the phone in the far corner and deduces that he doesn’t work there, so she rings the bell and waits. It doesn’t take long for an older man to come out of a back room. He doesn’t talk much, only what is absolutely necessary. He has her sign the guestbook, takes her payment for one night and then disappears back into the back room to retrieve a key for her. 

“I know kid, I’m sorry.” she hears the man at the phone speak into the receiver. His back is to her, a white, long sleeved t-shirt stretched across broad shoulders, a pair of dark wash blue jeans slung low on his hips and well worn work boots on his feet. “I promise, I’m going to do everything I can to get there in time.” he stops, listening to the person on the other end. “Lis, please, I know. I’m doing the best… Lis? Lisa?” he sighs, pulling the receiver away from his ear, looking at it for a moment as if he could glare his call into reconnecting, before he hangs it up. 

He turns from the phone looking defeated as he rubs a hand over his closely shorn hair. 

Sara doesn’t know why she speaks. “Are you alright?” she asks. He looks up at her and huffs.

“ _ Peachy _ .” 

The front desk attendant reappears then, and hands her a key, pointing out which way to go. She thanks him, turning to walk out the front door, only to realize the man at the phone is already outside, standing just at the edge of the canopy over the front entrance, watching the rain fall and smoking a cigarette. 

Sara steps out on the stoop and hesitates. “I hope everything works out.” she says, her voice is just barely loud enough for him to hear over the pouring rain and he turns to look at her, seemingly startled by what are essentially kind words. 

“Thank you.” he finally replies and Sara smiles at him, turning to head down the row toward her room.

xXx

Leonard just wants to go home. Home, what a concept. He’s never considered any place home before. He supposes that has more to do with his father than an indictment on the rest of his family. It’s hard to feel at home in a place you know isn’t safe. But he’s gone now, they’re safe, so it’s finally a home. 

Lewis Snart was a third rate human being and a fourth rate cop. He spent most of his career proving why people didn’t trust cops. He worked within the department, always passed over for promotions, always looked down on suspiciously by anyone outside of his circle, until a routine stop sent him to the hospital and forced him into early retirement. He recovered in a bottle, taking the anger of his shortcomings out on his children. 

Leonard did the best he could, keeping himself between Lewis and Lisa, while still trying to keep up at school and a steady job to support them, because it became increasingly obvious that Lewis wasn’t going to. 

When Leonard was eighteen, an informant for the police department leveled accusations at Lewis and several other officers. By the time he was nineteen, Lewis was on trial for various crimes up to and including murder, leaving Leonard to fight to keep his sister out of the system. 

He’d managed to get custody of her, citing Lewis’ years of neglect. They stayed with their grandparents until Lewis was convicted and then sold the house and moved into an apartment. Leonard worked two jobs at a time to keep Lisa well cared for. He wouldn’t make it to college, of that he was certain, but he’d be damned if Lisa didn’t make it there. She was smart and talented and she deserved every chance he wouldn’t get. 

So, a few months previous when a temporary job in California opened up, a job that would net him enough money to keep them well above water for a while, he had to take it. He set Lisa up with their grandparents, packed up his old beater and drove the fifteen hundred miles across country to work long days and sometimes long nights. Lisa hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of him leaving. He had never been so far from her for so long, but this would ensure he wouldn’t have to work multiple jobs anymore, that he could be there more when she needed him. 

Lisa eventually relented, but only after making him promise that he would be home in time for her sixteenth birthday. The job was supposed to end nearly a week before her birthday, which gave him plenty of time to drive back to Central, he may even have time to stop somewhere and find her a unique birthday gift. 

He should know better than to hope. 

Leonard is just south of the Carlsbad Caverns when the engine starts smoking. He curses under his breath, whispering sweet nothings to the car in the hopes he can coerce it into making it to the next stop. He just barely gets it into the parking lot of a repair garage before it stops all together. 

There’s a lot of cursing as he gets out of the car and the mechanic basically tells him what he already knows. It would be easier to sell the car for scrap and find a new one. It was exactly what his best friend had told him the last time he’d had trouble with the car. He couldn’t afford that though, not right now, so he did what he could and pushed through, like always. 

The mechanic agrees to store his car until the next morning when he expects Leonard to come back and tell him what he wants to do with it. In the meantime he points out a motel a block away. 

The motel is hideous but he doesn’t dwell on it, renting a room for the night. He ends up dozing on the bed for a few hours, having pushed himself a little too hard to get home that much sooner, and when he wakes up the sun is just about to set. Leonard thinks it would be best to get something to eat and call home to let everyone know what happened. He’s sure Lisa will be upset, but this isn’t going to stop him from getting home. It’s just a minor set back, nothing to be alarmed about. 

Except Lisa isn’t just upset, she’s angry. And he can’t blame her. She didn’t want him to leave in the first place and now it looks like he won’t make it home at all. She just wants him to be there. She doesn’t want him to have to work multiple jobs or travel the country to support her. She’s sixteen, she’s not naive, she knows he’s too young to be a father, but that’s exactly what he’s been to her since her mother walked out on them. Lisa doesn’t want a father, she wants a brother. She wants to see him having fun with his friends, not coming home exhausted every morning because he worked a double to pay for the equipment she needed for after school sports. He tells her he’s doing his best over the phone and she knows he is, but he shouldn’t have to. He shouldn’t have to raise her. She hangs up on him and Leonard knows she’s just frustrated, that she’ll calm down by the time he checks in again. 

It doesn’t mean it all doesn’t sting a little though. 

“Are you alright?” he hadn’t noticed the young woman come in. She’s nearly a head shorter than him, with long blonde hair, pulled back in a ponytail and bright blue eyes that seem honestly concerned. He’s not sure he knows how to handle that. So he brushes it off with a short response and slips out the front door when her attention is pulled toward the desk attendant again. 

Leonard steps out onto the entrance step, standing right at the edge of the awning and lights up a cigarette. He doesn’t usually smoke, but it seems like the time for one. The rain is falling in heavy sheets, blowing across the parking lot. There are three cars parked there. A small pick up, a four door sedan and a classic chevy that should have given up two decades before. The truck is the only vehicle that wasn’t there when he walked into the lobby, so Leonard assumes it belongs to the young woman. Not that it really matters, other than a kind word, she means nothing to him. 

“I hope everything works out.” he can barely hear her over the rain and he wonders if she had planned on saying anything at all. He turns slightly to look at her and something on his face must slip, because for a moment she looks sad for him. 

“Thank you.” he finally replies and she smiles at him. It’s a sweet smile that brightens up her face. If this were a different situation he may have pursued her, but he needs to focus on getting home, so he doesn’t strike up a conversation and lets her turn to leave. He does, however, watch her go. He tells himself he wants to make sure she gets to her room safely, but with his eyes on her ass the whole time he’s pretty sure he would miss anyone trying to sneak up on her. 

Once she’s in her room (the one next to his no less) he finishes his cigarette, tosses the empty pack in the garbage and goes back to his room for the night. He can worry about everything else in the morning.       


	2. I’m Empty and Aching and I Don’t Know Why

Let Us Be Lovers (We’ll Marry Our Fortunes Together)

Part II: I’m Empty and Aching and I Don’t Know Why

xXx

Sara wakes to the sound of the air conditioning kicking on. It’s nearly nine but already it feels like high noon when she steps out into the sun. She puts her bag in the car and returns the key to the front desk then drives over to the diner across the parking lot. A quick breakfast while she decides what to do next and then she’ll be on her way.

The diner is mostly empty. There’s an older couple at a table near the door, a waitress behind the breakfast counter and the man from last night in a booth all the way in the back. He glances up at her as she picks a booth and she smiles at him as she slides in. He simply nods in return and returns his attention to his breakfast. Sara pulls out the journal she’s been keeping of her travels and the road map of the tristate area. She knows GPS would probably work better, but this is supposed to be an adventure, she doesn’t need to be told where to go, she’ll figure it out along the way.

The waitress takes her order and returns with it rather quickly. She eats as she studies the map. Oblivious to the older couple that keeps looking over at her, or the waitress who seems unnerved by it.

At some point a man in greasy coveralls comes in and makes his way over to the man in the back. She’s not eavesdropping, but the diner is pretty quiet so it’s hard not to hear.  

“I was just about to come down.” the man tells the mechanic, who slides into the booth. The waitress seems to know him, because he doesn’t even order before she’s slid a cup of coffee in front of him.

“Have you made a decision?” the mechanic sounds like he has an idea of his own, but he needs to hear the man out first.

“How long to fix it up enough to get me back to Central City?” he asks, a note of skepticism in his voice.

“At least a week. I’d have to special order parts just to get it to turn over at this point.”

The man sighs. “Shit, I need to be back in Central in three days.”

“Well that’s not gonna happen if you insist on gettin’ there with that piece of junk.” the mechanic takes a drink of his coffee. “Look, I can offer you cash for it. Three grand, I’ll scrap it for parts and you can use the money to get home.”

“And how exactly would I do that. There aren’t any bus lines around here.”

“No, but I can have one of my guys give you a lift to a car rental place about ten miles north of here. It’s no Enterprise but it’ll get ya there.”

The young man sounds defeated and Sara feels a deep ache for him. “Yeah, alright, I’ll be over as soon as I’m done here.”

The mechanic nods, finishes his coffee and slips out. He smiles at the waitress behind the counter and slips her a five, telling her to keep the change. When he’s gone the man finishes his breakfast and gathers his bags. He tosses money on the table for a tip and walks over to the register to pay.

Sara tunes out the rest of the world now that the interesting stuff has passed and it’s not until the man slides into the booth across from her that she realizes how out of it she was. She looks up at him a little taken back and it’s clear he can see that but he pushes on regardless.

“Leonard.” he introduces himself, offering his hand.

“Sara.” she replies, accepting.

“I just wanted to thank you for the kind words last night.” he’s sincere, but he keeps peeking over her shoulder like he’s waiting for something. For a moment she wonders if he’s on the run, but when she looks back only the older couple is there, talking low amongst themselves.

“You don’t have to do that.” she tells him as she turns back. “Technically you already did.”

“I know, but it meant a lot. Yesterday was just a tad bit difficult.” he explains. She smiles shyly.

“It sounded like it.”

Leonard huffs a laugh.

“So, what’s in Central?” she doesn’t know why she asks. She doesn’t know this man and a young woman traveling alone should not get to know strange men.

“Home. I was in California working. Job ended so I’m on my way home.”

“And you have to be back in three days?”

“My little sisters sixteenth birthday. She didn’t want me to leave in the first place so before I left I promised I would be home in time for her birthday. Looks like I might be late.”

“Well, at least you’re trying.” Sara tells him.

Leonard nods, and then as if seeing the map for the first time asks; “Where are you headed, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m not sure yet. I was thinking about heading back to the caverns again today, but there’s so much more I want to see and I only have until the end of August.”

“Cross country trip before college?” he asks knowingly.

“We’ll see.” she replies, a feeling of melancholy settling in. It’s been two weeks now and she’s having the time of her life. Every time she thinks about all of this ending she’s filled with a sense of dread. Like a condemned man walking in slow progression toward the gallows. Maybe she’s being overly dramatic, but she’s fairly certain she shouldn’t feel that way about her future. “Anyway, I’m done here, can I offer you a ride to the garage?”

Leonard looks a little taken back. He’s either a very good actor or he hadn’t actually been trying to chat her up for a ride after all. Either way, she had every intention of offering after he sat down. It’s nearly ninety degrees out there, and dry heat or not she’s not about to let him walk any distance with all of his bags if she can help him out.

“You don’t have to do that.” he says, though he seems a little relieved at the offer.

“I don’t mind. Like I said, I don’t really have a plan, so it’s not like I’ll be going out of my way or anything.”

Leonard shakes his head and looks away. “I can’t argue with logic like that. At least let me pay for your breakfast as a thank you.” he continues looking back at her.

Sara wants to protest, but he seems adamant and really, there’s only a few dollars worth of food on her bill. She’s not a morning eater, so it’s probably the same amount of gas she’ll use to get him down the street. She relents and he pulls the check from under a stack of napkins. Sara leaves a tip and packs up her things, standing to meet Leonard at the register.

The old couple isn’t alone anymore, now there’s a sheriff's deputy standing in front of their table. They both look nonchalant but Leonard’s shoulders are tense and the waitress keeps stealing glances at them.

“Ready?” Leonard pulls her from her thoughts and she agrees, leading the way out of the diner and toward her pick up. She pulls the cover off the back, making room for his bags and then their off.

xXx

Leonard is up early, too early for the garage to be open already, but not so early that the diner is closed. He packs up his stuff, turns in his key and treks across the parking lot for breakfast and to work out a plan.

The outcome must always be the same for each plan. In three days time he needs to be in Central City, it’s a roughly twenty-three hour drive from the bottom edge of New Mexico to southern Ohio, he can make it with time to spare if he drives all night. The problem is, he’s not sure he make it in a car that has given up barely out of the gate. His options are limited if he can’t. This area doesn’t have a lot of bus lines, so he’d need to bum a ride a little farther north or east to catch a bus. From there he’d have to hopscotch lines until he made it to Ohio. That was tricky, because it didn’t guarantee that he would be home in time. At any point he could miss a connection, a bus could break down or the driver could decide to make it a leisurely tour of the Midwest. There were too many variables.

The second option was to see if his car could be fixed enough to at least get him close enough. If he could make it to the Ohio river, he could call Mick to come get him. That plan left him at the mercy of his car though. The thing had been on its last leg when he bought it, which was fine for driving around Central. He only needed it to get back and forth to school and work and to make sure Lisa got where she needed to go. Traveling cross country, however, had not been advised by anyone. He was sure Mick would be waiting for him with a smug look when he finally got back.

The last plan was to sell the car and use the money to rent one. If he got enough he may even have a decent amount left over to put in savings for a new car. He wasn’t too hopeful that would happen, but at the very least maybe the mechanic would want it for parts.

Leonard has been scribbling notes for awhile when he hears the bell ring over the door. The young woman from the night before walks in, taking a seat at a booth a few up from him. When she notices him she smiles and he acknowledges her before going back to his breakfast.

The young woman seems far too well taken care of to be a runaway. She has money and clean clothes and her car was in decent shape for being an older model. That left road tripper. Probably on some journey to find herself. No big deal, it wasn’t his business and he wasn’t there to judge. There was no reason to get involved with her, as he had told himself the night before. He needs to get home and she probably had places to be as well.

Except, the next time he looks up at the sound of the bell he notices the older couple that had been there when he walked in, watching her. It doesn’t seem overly creepy, but in the middle of nowhere one can not be too careful.

The mechanic sliding into the booth across from him pulls him from his thoughts and he puts it out of his mind while he works through his list of options. In the end he’s willing to buy the car and for far more than Leonard thought he’d get for it. He tells the mechanic he’ll be down when he’s finished and they can take care of everything then.

Leonard watches the older man leave, and as he moves to the door, Leonard’s eyes are drawn to the older couple again. They’re still watching the young woman, but now the waitress looks uncomfortable, her eyes moving back and forth between them and her. All of Leonard’s hackles are raised now and he endeavors to remain casual, leaving a tip and collecting his bags before moving to the counter. The waitress is distracted and he can see the cook peaking though the pass through window. Leonard leans hip shot against the counter, his back to the older couple and his voice low.

“What’s wrong?” he asks and the waitress looks startled. “You look nervous. Are you alright?” he continues.

The young woman hesitates, then seems to make up her mind. “I overheard that couple saying some things about that girl over there. I think they might try to hurt her.”

“Did you call the police?” he questions and he just catches the cook nodding out of the corner of his eye.

“They’re sending a deputy, but it could be a little while. The police tend to stick to the touristy areas.”

Leonard simply nods as the transaction finishes. He doesn’t really think about what happens next, he simply reacts, sliding into the booth across from her. She’s surprised, obviously, but he belays any worry by introducing himself.

“I just wanted to thank you for your kind words last night.” He means it, he really does, but his attention is also split between her and the older couple who have bristled a bit at this sudden turn of events. Sara seems to notice him peeking over her shoulder. The older couple has looked away, whispering to each other which doesn’t seem to raise any alarms for her. Good, if she’s lucky, she’ll never know she was in danger.

Sara brushes off his gratitude politely, but it helps more than he realized it would to admit that yesterday had been awful, though he understates it a little. Surprisingly she asks him about it and he finds himself telling her. She’s sweet, trying to make him feel better, but he’s never been good with emotions so he redirects the conversation. Sure he’s stalling until the police show up, but there is a small part of him that wants to know.

He’s slightly pleased to hear he was right, though her hesitance to admit college is waiting for her at the end of the summer throws him off, as does the sudden melancholy that descends around her. If he didn’t know any better he would think she was hoping to completely disappear on this trip, never go home, never face what was waiting for her. He cuts off that line of thought as she brushes off the heavy feelings.

“Anyway, I’m done here, can I offer you a ride to the garage?”

Leonard can admit he wasn’t expecting that, though, given the reason he sat down he thinks it might not be a bad idea. Over her head he sees a deputy’s car pull into the parking lot, the bell above the door ringing as he steps in and casually strolls over to the couple when the waitress nods at them.

It seems to be coming to an end, so he tries to politely bow out. He doesn’t want to put her out, there’s no reason for her to help him, she’s done enough just listening to him. She’s adamant though, even going so far as to mention her lack of plan for the rest of the day. If he’s honest, the idea of walking even a short distance in the heat is a daunting one. He’s never been a fan of the heat, especially not when his preferred choice of clothing tended toward long sleeves and jeans.

If he’s going to agree to let her give him a ride, he’s at least going to pay her back for it. So he insists she let him pay for her breakfast, which is surprisingly light. She relents and he gets up, making his way to the cash register while she gathers her things.

“Have you heard anything?” Leonard asks the waitress as she rings him out. She looks a little too pale.

“He asked them where they were coming from and they said they just passed through a town a little ways north of here.” she explains. That can’t be the reason she looks so nauseous. “A young woman, a hitchhiker was found dead two days ago, it was in all the papers. Right around the time they would have been up there.”

Leonard’s entire body is coiled with tension, he’s ready to spring into action, ready to fight his way out. He hasn’t felt this way since before Lewis was arrested, since he finally got big enough to fight back when he came after them.

Sara seems to sense that something is wrong, but she doesn’t ask any questions and he’s grateful for it. Let her go on thinking the deputy is just passing through, or that the couple tried to walk out on their bill. She doesn’t need the nightmares of knowing what could have happened if the waitress hadn’t of overheard them. She’ll be alone again soon enough, and while being cautious is never a bad idea, he would hate for her trip to ruined by a lingering sense of paranoia at ever stop.  

The tension finally bleeds out of him when they get on the road, putting the diner behind them.

“Huh, are you sure they’re going to be able to take you to that rental place?” she asks as they pull in. The garage is completely full, every mechanic set to work.

Leonard sighs. “It doesn’t look like it.” he tells her.

“Well that’s alright, I can take you.” she replies. Leonard looks over at her.

“I can’t ask you to do that. That’s way more than you originally offered.” he says, though it’s only half-hearted. It’s not looking like he has much choice in the matter.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You have a schedule to keep and you can’t waste time waiting around here. I told you already, I have no idea where I’m going. It’s not an inconvenience by any stretch of the imagination.”

They stare each other down, but in the end Leonard relents. She’s right, as much as he hates to admit it.

“Alright fine, but I’m giving you gas money.” he says, it’s playfully threatening and Sara laughs as he climbs out of the car and heads for the office. It doesn’t take him long to finish with the mechanic. The garage is swamped and he needs to get back to work, so Leonard doesn’t keep him. He signs some papers, takes the envelope of money and then heads out to his car to get the rest of his bags.

“Did you get an address?” Sara asks when he climbs back in. He hands her a slip of paper which she plugs into the GPS on her phone before hitting the old dirt highway.

xXx

Sara can see it as they pull in, there’s no way any of those guys are going to be able to leave to give Leonard a ride and there is no way she’s going to let him sit here and waste time when he should be out on the road home. He puts up a fight when she suggests taking him herself but she knows he doesn’t have any other options.

When he comes back out of the office, Sara resists the urge to laugh at the pathetic little navy blue dodge neon he pulls the rest of his stuff out of. First of all its a neon, second she’s pretty sure it’s older than both of them.

Leonard has his stuff in the back in only a few minutes, and hands over an address. It takes less than five minutes to get there, which is good, because if it had taken any longer they both might have been pissed off by what they found.

Sara thinks this probably isn’t the best time to laugh, but whoever is looking down on Leonard right now seems to be enjoying torturing him. It’s the only explanation for why the only tree in this lifeless dessert could fall on the only car rental place for a hundred square miles during a freak storm in the middle of the dry season.

He’s resisting the urge to flip out, she can see it in his eyes, in the way he holds himself as he stares out the windshield of her truck.

“So,” she begins delicately. “Is Ohio nice this time of year?”

Leonard turns to look at her, his eyes unseeing as his mouth opens and closes around words that won’t form. She nods as if she understands him, and pats him on the shoulder.

“It’s okay.” she mutters plugging Central City, Ohio into the GPS and setting back out. He can give her better directions home once he’s capable of thinking again.                      


	3. And We Walked Off To Look For America

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm already working on outlining the sequel. It's going to be a reunited years later kind of thing, and there will be flashbacks, so if you think there are somethings lacking here, there will be more detail of the things that happened in between in that story which will most likely be longer.

Let Us Be Lovers (We’ll Marry Our Fortunes Together)

Part III: And We Walked Off To Look For America

xXx

His mother used to say the Snarts were cursed. He thinks it was just her way of lashing out at his father who had already started seeing Lisa’s mother while she lay dying in the hospital. But as he gets older he wonders if she wasn’t right. It seems to be the only explanation as to why so many bad things happen to him and Lisa. He’s not foolish enough to believe any curse is the reason his father is a shitty human being, but Lisa, who never hurt anyone in her life, she didn’t deserve all this. She didn’t deserve to have her mom walk out on her. She didn’t deserve the hits Lewis threw her way when Leonard wasn’t home to protect her. She didn’t deserve to be concerned with whether or not he was living his life because he was making sure she was living hers. She deserved to be normal, to be happy. They both did. 

So maybe there was some truth to the curse. Some truth to the idea that a Snart somewhere down the line did something stupid and destroyed any chance at happiness the rest of them ever had. 

“You don’t have to take me all the way there.” he finally speaks up some time later. It doesn’t feel like it was that long, but when he looks at the clock on the radio it’s been nearly an hour. “If you can just find a bus station I can get home that way.” 

“You’ll never get home in time if you take the bus.” she tells him. He knows she’s right but the alternative is to be driven cross country by a stranger who had only originally offered to take him a block down the street. 

Leonard shakes his head. “So you’re just gonna drive across the country with me. You don’t even know me. I could be dangerous.” 

“Are you trying to tell me your a serial killer, Leonard?” she asks with an impish grin. 

“You don’t know, I could be.” 

She rolls her eyes and keeps on going. Leonard doesn’t try to convince her to pull over anywhere after that. As much as he hates to admit it, if he doesn’t accept her help, he’ll never get home in time and at the moment, that’s all that matters to him. 

“Sorry to take you away from your trip.” he finally says. 

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll have you home in barely two days. That still leaves plenty of time for the rest of the summer. I can hit the east coast and work my way back through the midwest on the way home.” she looks over at him as they take an exit and enter a more modern stretch of highway. It’s no less empty though. “So, you and your sister must be pretty close.” she comments. 

Leonard hums. “We are and she’s my responsibility now.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Leonard’s not sure what it is about this woman that has him spilling his life story to her so easily, but it seems every time she asks him a question he can’t stop talking. “Our father went to prison last year. I got custody of her shortly after. That’s why I took the job in California. It offered room and board for the duration so any money I made I could save up and put away, build a little nest egg so she doesn’t have to worry about anything.” 

“What about other family?” she asks. 

“My mother died when I was a kid. Her mother walked out on her a few years ago. And our grandparents are too old and sick to take care of her full time. She’s been living with them while I’ve been gone, but only under the stipulation that she has to help them out when she can.” 

Leonard thinks that Sara may actually have been running from something, because for a moment she looks regretful. But it passes quickly as his stomach grumbles and she laughs only for hers to answer. There’s a rest stop with some fast food places a few miles up and they stop to get a quick bite to eat. It’s about three in the afternoon and they’ve made good time. If they continue at this rate he’ll be home by the morning after next. 

“So here’s what I’m thinking.” Sara says as she pulls out the map she’d been looking over in the diner in New Mexico. “If we keep going the way we are, we should reach this campground around seven o’clock. We can check in, set up camp for the night and then head out bright and early tomorrow morning. 

“Sounds good, but camping?” he asks. 

She nods finishing off her milkshake. “Yeah, this campground is free to use so we don’t have to pay for a hotel room and we can leave whenever we want.” 

“I don’t have any camping gear.”

“I do. I have a two person tent and an extra sleeping bag. Figured I’d camp as much as I could to save money. I only stayed at the hotel last night because there was a flash flood warning at the campground.” 

“Lucky for me.” he tells her and she grins at him like she’s so proud of herself. It’s cute, he thinks, how light she is. He finds himself praying that tragedy never touches her, never darkens the light in her clear blue eyes or casts a shadow on that radiant smile. It’s a weird thing to think about someone he’s only just met, but there’s just something about her that eases him. “Let’s get going then, shall we?” 

xXx

The next four hours are more fun than Sara expected. Leonard has this lazy wit about him that always makes it seem like he doesn’t have to try to be cool. She can easily imagine him in high school, skirting the line between the popular crowd and the bad boys club. In fact, she can imagine that a little too well. She won’t try to kid herself, she’s been attracted to Leonard from the moment she laid eyes on him. But it was simply that, attraction. They were never supposed to see each other again. She was supposed to get back on the road and go about her trip, never thinking about the cute guy with the five o’clock shadow who could fill out a pair of jeans very well. 

Now, she’s driving him across the country to get him home in time for his little sisters sweet sixteen and she’s not so sure she thought this through. She has no problem helping him out. The last few days have clearly been awful for him, but she is having a little trouble focusing on not being attracted to him. Everytime he looks at her with that sly smirk and that sparkle of mischief in his eyes she can’t stop imagining what kind of mischief they can really get up to together. 

The fact that he’s a decent human being isn’t helping matters either. He’s not that much older than her and yet his life is already set in stone. If he’s bitter about it he doesn’t let on, like there’s no burden in being twenty-one and being fully responsible for your teenage sister. Maybe there isn't for him. From the sounds of it he’s been taking care of her for a lot longer than that, maybe now he just has the legal rights to protect her better. Sara can’t help but wonder if Laurel would step up for her the way Leonard stepped up for Lisa. She thinks she would, she’s always been a good sister, even if they don’t see eye to eye all time. She even had her back when she decided to take this trip, though she’d probably be pissed if she found out she gave a lift to a stranger, no matter how amazing his cheekbones are. 

The campground is just off the highway so they stop a little ways down first and pick up a few things to cook over the fire for dinner. Hot dogs, buns and the fixings for s’mores and then they’re on their way to the camp ground. 

There’s an empty patch with no other campers around, so they set up there. They have an hour or so before the sunsets so they use the remaining daylight to set up the tent and gather wood for the fire pit. There’s only a few minutes left when Sara pulls out her camera. She’s gone through about fifteen rolls and there’s still plenty more to use. 

“What are you doing?” he asks as she sets up her tripod. 

“Setting up for a long exposure.” she explains, adjusting her camera on the base and pointing it up at the night sky. She keeps a patch of the trees and a corner of a rock face in the distance in the frame for context, but her biggest concern here is the night sky. 

“So you’re a photographer then. Is this what you’re going to school for?” he asks as she starts putting her bag away. She tenses for a moment, but catches herself in, what she hopes, is enough time not to seem suspicious. 

“This is more of a hobby really.” she replies half heartedly. 

“Yeah, but if you turn a hobby into a career you never have to work a day in your life.” 

Sara shrugs. “Maybe.” 

“What  _ are  _ you going to school for?” he asks. 

She sighs, knowing this question was coming doesn’t make it any easier. How do you complain about your problems to someone whose been through what he has. 

“It’s complicated.” she finally settles on. He looks concerned, which is sweet really. 

“Hey, I told you mine.” he tells her and he’s right. Their issues aren’t a competition, regardless of how “bad” they are, both are no less valid. 

Sara finishes putting her things away before taking a seat on one of the overturned logs. “So, I’m supposed to start college in September, Pre-Med, and I’ve been working toward this for as long as I can remember. It’s been a dream.”

“So what the problem then?”

“The closer I got to realizing said dream, the more I realized it wasn’t my dream. It was my dad’s. My dad wanted a doctor and lawyer, my sister starts law school next year, which just leaves me. I just… I know it’s silly to start second guessing everything so late in the game, and my dad’s probably right, it’s just nerves, but…”

“But what if it’s not nerves.” he finishes for her. 

She nods. “This isn’t the kind of profession that you can just decide you don’t want to do once you’ve gotten through it. We’re talking about nearly a decade of my life and if I’m complacent for even a moment, someone could get hurt. I have to be sure, there can’t be any doubts with something like this.”

“Makes sense to me.” Leonard says. “You can’t dedicate that much time to something that’s going to make you miserable for the rest of your life.” 

She feels a sense of relief wash over her. She had tried to say these things to her family and friends but all any of them could say was she was just nervous about being so close to the finish line. Leonard was the first person to see what she couldn’t make her family understand. 

“So, are you actually out here on a road trip, or did you run away?” he asks. 

“Little bit of both I guess. When I tried to tell my dad about all of this he kept saying it was just nerves, he wouldn’t really listen so we made a deal. I originally wanted to take a year off but he wouldn’t hear it, so instead, he’s giving me the summer to figure out if there’s something else I want to do with my life. If I haven’t settled on anything, definitively, by the end of August I have to go to school as planned.”

“Lot a pressure.” She shrugs. “What makes you think a road trip is going to help you figure everything out?” 

“I don’t know if it will, I just, I’ve always wanted to see the world and I figured I would start with my own country and see what I could see. Nothing is more incredible than nature. It’s always changing, always evolving. Its a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes I think the only guarantee in life is the unknown. Everything we don’t know about the world is natural. We can tell you everything you want to know about human beings, but nature, nature is an enigma.” 

Sara looks over the fire to find Leonard staring at her, a mixture of awe and wonder on his face. She blushes under his gaze, looking away in embarrassment and praying that the ground will open up and swallow her whole. 

xXx

She’s absolutely beautiful in that moment. Leonard doesn’t think she understands the significance of what she’s saying, not while she’s so turned around in her thoughts of the future, but to him, the outside observer, it’s obvious. 

“I think you’ve found your passion, Sara.” he tells her gently. She’s looked away, hiding her face, but now she’s looking at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. 

“What do you mean?” she asks. 

He doesn’t think she’ll appreciate it if he laughs, so he holds it back as best he can. “You love nature. You love the world. It’s perfect for you.” 

She huffs. “What like a zoologist or a geologist?” she asks sounding as if it was entirely insane to think she could be either of those things. Never mind that she’s apparently good enough to enter pre-med studies.

“Sure, or a nature photographer.” he adds, not rising to the bait she’s set. If she doesn’t want to believe in herself she’ll need to work that out on her own, but it couldn’t hurt to set a few bread crumbs out. 

Sara looks back at her camera rig, picking out the silver metal in the dark patch she set it up in. Every once in a while it clicks, letting her know its still working. When she turns to look at him again, there’s a spark of realization in her eyes. It’s not big, but it’s there and sometimes that’s all you need. 

“Are you hungry?” he asks, drawing her attention away from her dilemma. It’ll come back to her when she’s ready, for now it’s probably best she puts it out of mind.  

xXx

“Do you ever think that life is playing a cruel joke on you?” She asks him. They’ve settled into the sleeping bags for the night. The fire is out and their things are packed away. Neither of them can fall asleep. While they were getting tired, something set them off and they started joking around. Now they’re a little too energized to fall asleep just yet. 

“All the time.” he replies. “It has to be. I mean look at us. I’m twenty-one and responsible for a sixteen year old. I work two jobs just to keep food on the table and roof over our heads. I come out to California so I can make enough money so I won’t have to do that for awhile, and I get stranded half way home after promising my sister I’d be home for her birthday.” he pauses. “You’ve got your whole life planned, a bright future that promises job security and a decent living, and right as you hit the homestretch you realize you weren’t following your own plan, you followed someone else’s.” he huffs a humorless laugh. “We’re living proof of that.” 

“It’ll get better though, won’t it?” she asks him, her voice is small and it wobbles a bit, Leonard is almost certain she’s trying not to cry. 

“I hope so.” he says, even if he doesn’t believe it. He hears her sniffle and looks over, watching the darkened outline of her hand wipe at her face. 

“I just… I wish I had seen all of this sooner.”

“Hindsight is twenty twenty.” 

“My dad is going to be so mad. I think he hoped if I didn’t go to medical school I would settle on some other high class profession, ya know?”

“If he loves you, he’ll understand.” Leonard really believes that too. He doesn’t know her father, but from the sounds of it, he loves his children more than anything. He may not like her decision at first, but he’ll come around eventually. 

“What did you want to do when you grew up? Did you ever think about that?” 

The question takes him by surprise, but he finds himself answering anyway. “I like to build things. Always figured I’d be an engineer or something. And then when I got older and realized I probably wouldn’t make it to college I figured I’d be a handyman or something.” 

“Is that what you do now?” 

“My best friend’s father was an auto mechanic. He owned a garage, left it to my friend when he died. I work there winter to spring and in the summer and fall I work construction with a local company.” 

“Do you like it?” 

He shrugs even though he knows she can’t see him very well. “I don’t hate it.” 

He hears Sara shift around and looks over to find her on her side facing him. “You don’t think you have a chance at anything else do you?” 

Leonard turns onto his side as well, propping his head on his fist. “I’m not really worried about me.” 

Sara simply hums and settles down. Silence settles around them, the only sounds are of the wildlife out in the trees. Soon enough he hears her breath even out and he lays down as well, letting himself drift off to sleep. 


	4. And The Moon Rose Over An Open Field

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the last chapter. I've already started blocking out the first chapter of the sequel. There's a lot coming up in the next few weeks. My Birthday is at the end of the month, my mom is having surgery the second week of April and then I'm going to a convention that weekend so I will do my best to get as much as I can finished and start posting before then. 
> 
> The next story's title is in the end notes and is also inspired by an Simon and Garfunkel song.

Let Us Be Lovers (We’ll Marry Our Fortunes Together)

Part IV: And The Moon Rose Over An Open Field

xXx

They’re on the road again early the next morning. They stop at a gas station two exits up for coffee before continuing on. They’ve decided to drive the rest of the way to Central, no matter how late they get there. Leonard tells her they can go straight to his apartment and crash there, then he can grab a ride the next morning from his friend to take him to his grandparents house for his sister’s birthday party. 

Sara thinks it’s a good idea, especially when he suggests they take turns driving. She starts out the day, taking them the rest of the way through Missouri and a few hours into Illinois. At a rest stop they grab something quick to eat and switch places. 

“Wow your short.” Leonard comments as he tries to get into the driver’s seat. The seat is so close he has to back it up before trying to get in again. 

“I’m not short.” she defends. “I’m fun sized.” 

Leonard laughs, the first full laugh she’s heard from him since they’ve met. It’s a nice sound, full and deep. The dark lines of his face lighten with the smile that accompanies it. 

“Whatever you say.” he replies, getting settled. 

The rest of the trip through Illinois is uneventful, though they do talk quite a bit, and halfway through Sara falls asleep in the passenger seat. She sleeps heavily through the trip into Ohio and Leonard decides to let her sleep for as long as she’s able. It’ll be easier to get through Central if he’s driving anyway. 

It’s hard to believe it’s only been two days since he’s met her. He’d never put much stock into the idea that you could just be drawn to someone, even his friendship with Mick hadn’t been quite like that, but she seems to be adamant to prove him wrong. They’ve talked extensively, there isn’t really much else to do while driving, and it’s hard not to know her because of it. There’s a thirst for life in her, and he hopes she never loses that. It’s one of her most attractive qualities, but it also sparks hope in him. Like maybe he has a chance at something more someday. 

She’s also quite attractive to him physically. If they had met at a party or a bar he would have no qualms about chatting her up, or taking her home for the night. She is undoubtedly his type, but this wasn’t a normal situation and being stuck in a car with each other for two days wasn’t the best place to start flirting beyond his usual manner. 

The fact that she’s sweet and kind doesn’t help matters at all. Who in this day and age would give a ride cross country to a stranger. And yet here he was, almost home after what he thought was a disaster. She hadn’t even hesitated after they’d discovered the car lot closed, she’d just plugged in Central into the GPS and off she went. He could barely speak, every option left to him had ended up a dead end. He’d had awful luck before, most of his life was terrible luck, but it had never conspired so rapidly all at once. He didn’t really believe in signs, but maybe finding her was the start of something better. 

Leonard knew he probably wouldn’t see her again when the trip was over. She had no reason to come all the way back to Ohio just to see him and with everything going on in his life, he probably wouldn’t find the time to make it back to California. They could keep in touch by phone, he wasn’t really big on social media, but he was sure like all things, this too would pass. It wasn’t a sad thought. Somethings were fleeting, it’s just the way they were. It was the memories you kept with you that mattered most. 

Leonard pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex just before ten and nudged Sara awake gently. “Is it time to switch?” she asks groggily, rubbing at her eyes. 

“Nope, we’re here.” he replies. She looks up confused, looking around the street lamp lit parking lot. 

“How long have I been asleep?” 

“Almost five hours. You slept like a log.” he teases. 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” he asks. “That had to have been boring, sitting in silence.” 

He shrugs. “No big deal.” was all he said as he got out of the truck. Sara follows, picking up her own bag and helping him bring all of his up to his apartment. “You hungry, there’s a pizza place around the corner that delivers late.” 

“Sounds good, do you mind if I use your shower?” he shakes his head and points her toward the bathroom. “Anything you get will be fine.” she calls back when he asks her what she wants on her pizza. 

Twenty minutes later she steps out of the bathroom and moves down the hall, running a towel through her wet hair. The delivery guy has come and gone and Leonard gestures to the pizza and plates in a help yourself type manner. He’s got his phone to his ear, taking to Mick who’s both surprised that he made it home and concerned that he’s being a little cagey about how he got there. Leonard resolves to tell him the whole truth in the morning, but for now it’s late and he’s starving, so he bids him farewell and hangs up. 

Sara asks him if he was talking to his friend and he tells her he was. “He’s going to pick me up in the morning and take me over to my grandparents.” 

She smiles. “I’m sure your sister will be excited to see you.”

He really hopes she’s right. After everything, he  _ prays  _ she’s right. His family is Jewish on both sides, but Leonard hasn’t been to temple since his mother’s funeral and his father was too busy with Lisa’s mother to sit Shiva with him. Now, however, he finds himself truly praying that everything works out. He’s gone to great lengths to ensure his sister’s happiness and it might not be exactly what she wants, but he’ll be damned if it’s not the best he’s got. He hopes that counts for something. 

“Here’s hoping.” he finally replies before they lapse into silence, enjoying their dinner around the tiny island that doubles as a room divider. He’s so caught up in the feeling of calm that has descended on him that he almost completely misses Sara’s question. 

“So, where can I sleep tonight?” she asks, breaking the comfortable silence. 

“Oh uh, you can have my room, I’ll just sleep on the couch.” he tells her. 

“You don’t have to do that. I can sleep on the sofa.” she replies a little taken back by his offer.  

Leonard shakes his head. “It’s not very comfortable and if you’re planning on getting back on the road tomorrow you need the sleep.”

“Sure, but you’ve been driving all day.” 

He shrugs. “I’m used to it. It’s not the first time I’ve fallen asleep on it.” 

“I just don’t think I’d be comfortable knowing you were out here on the lumpy sofa.” 

Leonard was at a loss. There really isn’t any other option. He can’t put her up in Lisa’s room, she’s very protective of her space, a little residual tick left over from living with Lewis, and he won’t violate that, not while she’s still healing. 

“Why don’t we just share?” she suggests catching him off guard. 

“I’m sorry what?” he asks, he couldn’t possibly have heard her right.  

“Yeah, why don’t we just share your bed. It’s not like we didn’t share a tent the other night.” 

Leonard hesitates. She’s not wrong, though there’s a big enough difference between sharing a bed and sleeping in separate sleeping bags in a large tent that he does consider suggesting he borrow one of her sleeping bags again and just sleep on the floor. Leonard is a lot of things but a masochist is not one of them and the nature of his thoughts toward her over the last two days are proof enough that this isn’t a good idea. 

“Yeah, sure, that… I mean, it’s big enough... for both of us.” he resists the urge to visibly cringe. Had he not settled this in his head already? Why was he agreeing then? 

“Great, then it’s settled.”

She smiles at him and he stops thinking. That’s probably not a good sign. 

xXx

Sara can smell the pizza all the way down the hall and quickly dresses, making her way out into the main apartment where Leonard is talking on his phone. When he notices her, he gestures to the plates and napkins he’s set out. 

“Yeah, just got in. No, don’t tell her I want it to be a surprise.” he says into the speaker. He huffs a laugh. “Alright, I’ll see you in the morning. Bye.” 

“The friend you were talking about?” Sara asks, picking sausage off her pizza and popping it into her mouth. 

“Yeah,” he replies, grabbing a piece for himself. “He’s going to pick me up in the morning and take me over to my grandparents.” 

“Good.” she smiles. “I’m sure your sister will be excited to see you.” 

Leonard smiles. “Here’s hoping.” 

They lapse into silence then, standing around the tiny breakfast bar, eating their late dinner. They’ve been sitting all day and they both find standing a nice treat. It’s in the silence that Sara notices a change in Leonard. He’s much lighter now, there’s no underserved guilt weighing down on him anymore. He’s finally made it home and he gets to keep his promise. For just a little while the weight of the world isn’t on his shoulders. He looks genuinely happy, if not a little tired. 

“So, where can I sleep tonight?” she asks, breaking the comfortable silence. 

“You can have my room, I’ll just sleep on the couch.” he tells her. 

“You don’t have to do that. I can sleep on the sofa.” she replies. She’s more than a little taken back by his offer. He hasn’t been home in months but here he is willing giving up his bed to her?

Leonard shakes his head. “It’s not very comfortable and if you’re planning on getting back on the road tomorrow you need the sleep.” he tells her and she knows he’s right, but she also slept for five hours while Leonard drove straight through. 

“Sure, but you’ve been driving all day.” 

He shrugs. “I’m used to it. It’s not the first time I’ve fallen asleep on it.” 

“I just don’t think I’d be comfortable knowing you were out here on the lumpy sofa.” 

Leonard seems at a loss. There really isn’t any other option. At least not one that she can see and the fact that he isn’t presenting one that involves both of them being comfortable only proves she’s right.  

“Why don’t we just share?” she suggests clearly catching him off guard. 

“I’m sorry what?” 

“Yeah, why don’t we just share your bed. It’s not like we didn’t share a tent the other night.” 

Leonard hesitates for a moment and Sara thinks she may have overstepped her boundaries. She’s just about to rescind, offer to go get her sleeping bag out of the truck and sleep on the floor when he finally replies;

“Yeah, sure, that… I mean, it’s big enough... for both of us.”

“Great, then it’s settled.” she says with more confidence than she currently feels. This probably isn’t her best idea, especially given the nature of her thoughts about him, sporadically, through this little detour of hers, but she’s insisted and she can’t back out now. So she finishes her pizza, washes her dish and leans back against the counter, suddenly feeling a little self conscious in her sleep shorts and oversized t-shirt. 

xXx

When they both decide to head to bed and Leonard watches Sara climb into his bed, he doesn’t feel tired anymore. So he tells her he’ll be back and goes to take a shower, hoping that washing the days grim off will help him relax. It doesn’t work. As he stands under the warm spray his mind keeps veering off on thoughts of the beautiful young woman in his bed. Maybe if circumstances were different, as he’d thought multiple times the past two day, he’d be a lot more excited about this. It’s not like he’s been known to sleep around, it’s a little difficult when you’re fighting to survive and trying to keep your sister alive as well. And it’s not like he hasn’t, he was pretty popular in high school, giving off a bad boy air that was unintentional but worked to his benefit. That being said, Sara isn’t his date for the prom, she’s the kind “stranger” who gave him a ride and made sure his sister’s birthday wouldn’t be completely ruined. 

That line of thought does little to help him. Before she was the beautiful woman in his bed, now she’s the beautiful,  _ kind  _ woman in his bed. The woman who went out of her way to help a stranger without thought of compensation or what he could do for her. Thoughts of what he can do for her flash through his mind and he shakes them free. He can’t get drawn into that, he can’t do something that might cause either of them to get attached. She’ll be gone in the morning and the chances that they’ll ever see each other again, that they’ll even keep in touch is slim. 

Leonard steps out of the shower an emotional mess, and he does his best to shove it all down as he dries off and dresses. When he steps into his room the bedside lamp is still on, illuminating Sara’s body curled up under the thin sheet. She opens her eyes and looks up at him, the blue pools sparkling in the single source of light. She’s beautiful. 

_ “Fuck.” _ he thinks to himself as he crawls in next to her, resigning himself to whatever may come.  

xXx

Leonard moves so silently for his size and the thought of why he would need to hone a skill like that makes her heart clench involuntarily. She can sense him standing beside the bed, though and she opens her eyes, looking up at him. He’s changed into to sweatpants and he’s not wearing a shirt. It’s the first time she’s seen him without one, the evidence of a hard fought childhood criss crossing his torso. He’s still handsome though, there’s no doubt about that, as she gets a good look at him, standing over her, seemingly frozen in his thoughts. He’s broad, that much is evident even when he’s dressed, but now she can see the definition underneath. Years of working hard labor, of working with his hands to support his family, have carved him into a fit individual. He’s calloused and tanned and hot as hell. 

_ “Fuck.” _ she thinks to herself as he finally climbs in next to her. She thinks maybe she should back up a little, put a little more space between them, but she can’t move. If she thought he was handsome a few feet away, it’s nothing compared to how he looks a few inches away. 

He doesn’t pull the sheet over himself. He’d confided in her that he actually likes the cold, and artificial or not, the air conditioner has been doing it’s job well since he turned it back on. Goosebumps raise on her skin and she’s not so sure it has anything to do with the cold that this Southern California girl does not enjoy as much as this Southern Ohio boy does. 

“Have you considered where you’re headed next?” he asks, his voice soft. 

“New England I think.” she replies. “Then I’ll probably criss cross around the east coast.” he doesn’t respond verbally, but he does nod. 

“I was thinking we should try to keep in touch.” he finally continues. “I know it’s only been two days, but it kind of seems silly to just not speak ever again after all of this.” 

Sara smiles. “I’d really like that.” 

“Good.” he says with finality, reaching over and switching off the lamp. She feels him shift around on to his side, can feel his breath breeze across her skin. 

“Hey Len?” she says as he settles. 

“Yeah?” 

“I’m really glad everything worked out for you.” 

It just sort of happens then. There’s a pause, a hesitation and then he’s moving, he’s right up against her, chest to chest. His hand is against the side of her neck, slipping back into her hair and then his lips are on hers. Her body responds on it’s own, her hands sliding up his chest and back around his neck pulling him closer. He slides his knee between her legs and then she’s on her back and he’s on top of her and the weight of his body should be too much but it’s a comfort she didn’t know she needed. 

His hands slide down her sides then back up under her shirt, the overly large material bunching around his wrists. His fingers are cold and she squeaks into the kiss, feeling him smirk against her lips. His hands travel higher pressing into her skin softly as they go, warming the longer they linger. 

Leonard pulls away just long enough to pull her shirt up and when she doesn’t protest, off. She’s not wearing a bra, which is something he’s completely missing with the black out curtains drawn. He seems to realize that himself and he quickly stands, throwing them open enough to let the moon light in. When he turns to the bed again, she gets another good look at him. The evidence of his arousal is obvious through his sweatpants and he’s breathing a little heavier than before. He almost seems hesitant and for a moment she thinks he may be having second thoughts, that is if he had first thoughts to begin with. This is all just sort of happening and she’s feeling a sense of relief that he made the first move. 

Before she can ask him if he’s coming back to bed, he’s moving toward her, crawling up from the end of the bed, his ice blue eyes smouldering. It’s in that moment, as he settles over her again, face to face that she realizes he’s wanted her as much as she’s wanted him. 

xXx

It’s not the most logical response. She tells him she’s happy that everything worked out, that for once he caught a break, and his response is to kiss her? It’s not logical at all, but neither is their two day friendship either. He’s just grateful she doesn’t hesitate to kiss him back, he can’t imagine making her uncomfortable like that; knowing she had nowhere else to go if she wanted to get away from him for it.  

Not only does Sara respond, but she’s enthusiastic about it, pulling him closer, scratching her nails along the shaved bristles of his hair. The next thing he knows he’s laying on top of her and she’s utterly thrilled by it. He realizes it’s entirely possible that while he was stuck in his own head, trying to keep himself under control around her, she may very well have been trying to do the same. 

Leonard moves on instinct, ghosting his hands up her shirt. She squeaks when he lays his hands against her skin, seeping the warmth out of her as he runs up her smooth sides, conscious of the rough calluses that mar his hands. She doesn’t appear to mind them, quite the opposite actually and it’s not long before he’s pulling away to take her shirt off.

The black out curtains are a godsend after a long night shift, but now they’re the bain of his existence. He knows she’s not wearing a bra, he can feel the bare skin, but he can’t see; the moonlight blocked out. He debates the merits of getting up to open them, worrying that if he does he may break the spell their under, but in the end his desire to see her, outweighs his concern and he’s up and across the room before he can talk himself out of it again. 

When he turns back to the bed he sees her. She’s laid out before him, one leg bent over the other, her arms above her head and breasts pushed out. She’s as gorgeous as he’s imagined, maybe even more so. He just stands there, watching her, memorizing the slopes and curves of her body. He wants to remember this, even if they don’t keep in touch, even if they never see each other again. The past two days have gone a long way in healing his scarred soul, and it’s because of her. It’s because of her kindness and her selflessness. 

Leonard pushes all of that aside and returns to the bed, crawling up from the foot until he’s holding himself up over her. “You’re beautiful.” he whispers, closing the distance between them again. Her arms are around his neck again and he works his hands under her and pulls her close. Her legs wrap around his waist and he groans as she grinds against him. He breaks the kiss, breathing heavy and burying his face in her neck as she does it again. “Sara.” he breaths, nipping at the skin at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. 

She nips at his earlobe. “I want you.” 

xXx

Despite what her flirty nature would have people believe, Sara is not in fact all that promiscuous. She’s not totally inexperienced, but the mean girl in high school had people believing she was much more experienced than she was. 

Her first time was with her sister’s boyfriend. She was sixteen. Laurel and Oliver were an on again, off again couple and at the time they had very much been off again. It wasn’t her proudest moment, but she had had a little too much fun that night and Oliver had been her friend longer than he had dated her sister, so it felt right at the time. She felt guilty about it later, especially when they became on again, but as far as she knew, Laurel had no idea. 

She’d had a couple more encounters after that, both of them disappointing, and Leonard, sweet, kind, sexy Leonard would be number four. Her previous experiences had been sloppy and rushed, but this was so much different. She had never understood the concept of instinct in these sorts of situations, but as he wrung one pleasured moan after another out of her, she found herself reacting to do the same for him. 

“Fuck.” he breathes, pulling her arms loose and trailing kisses from her neck down to her breast bone. His hands trail down this time, sliding under the hem of her shorts and squeezing her ass. He seems to like her ass, he’d been staring at it the night they met (inexperienced didn’t mean oblivious). The next thing she knows he tugging her shorts down and she has to let him go so he can pull them off completely. 

Leonard kneels above her, pupils blown wide with lust. He takes her in, every inch, his gaze like a caress of it’s own. She reaches out for him and he comes to her without hesitation, sealing his lips around one nipple and working the other in his hand. He switches his attentions after a time, driving her wild until she pushes him away and pulls him up to meet her in a desperate kiss again. 

“You’re overdressed.” she tells him as they part and he smirks. 

“Well we can’t have that now can we?” 

She smiles, reaching out and taking a hold of the waistband of his sweatpants, tugging them down. He takes over, slipping them off completely, revealing himself in full to her. He must like the look on her face when she sees him, because he’s very smug when she meets his eye again. She decides to cut off whatever smartass comment he’s most likely about to make. 

“Condom?” 

He freezes, thinking, and she resists the urge to laugh. Eventually he reaches for the drawer in the nightstand and pulls one out. He sets it aside on the bed as he leans down toward her again, and she grabs it as she accepts his kiss. 

When he pulls away she tears open the foil and slips it on him, thoroughly enjoying the way his breath stutters as she slides her hand down his shaft. He’s over her again as soon as she lets go and she wraps her legs around his hips guiding him as he pushes forward slowly. 

Another thing she has never understood was the term “delicious stretch”. Feeling stretched out, feeling full, it sounds uncomfortable and with her last few encounters she hadn’t felt that at all. With Leonard though, she finally understands. He was a bit larger than she was used to, thicker too, and he stretches her muscles further than they had been before. It stings a little at first, but she manages not to let on and when he’s finally seated inside her fully it feels amazing. 

She moans as he flexes his hips, testing the waters a bit, finding a comfortable position for his hands and knees. And then he was moving, sliding in and out slowly, building up speed every few minutes. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, holding on as best she could as he drove into her. They were both moaning now, calling out to each other. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. 

xXx

This woman was going to be the death of him. He‘s never bared himself like this to anyone. His previous encounters were quick and satisfying, sometimes they didn’t even get completely undressed. It was rare that he took his time like this, that he let his partner see the scars he was so ashamed of. But Sara wasn’t interested in any of that, not now. Now she was too busy taking in the lines of his body, the cut of his hips, the rise of his cock. 

He smirks when she meets his eye again, ready with some witty retort to make her blush. She beats him to it though. 

“Condom?” she asks, and he freezes. Shit, did he have one? It had been awhile since he’d brought a girl home, or since he’d been home at all for that matter. He must have something. He remembers his nightstand in the haze of confusion and finds one there, relief settling through him as he wraps his hand around it. 

She puts it on him, and if that isn’t a beautiful sight he doesn’t know what is. And then their coming together and he thinks for a second that he may have hurt her, but she doesn’t say anything, so he pushes on. He starts slow, building speed until their both caught up in the pleasure of it. He works a hand between them, rubbing circles on her clit and her moans increase an octave. She’s close, he can feel it and he’s pretty sure he won’t last much longer after that. He trails nips down her throat, soothing them with his tongue. Her hips flex up to his, letting him know she’s closer than he thought. 

She throws her head back in a silent scream as she tumbles over the edge. He can feel her clenching around him and he doesn’t last much longer, slowing his pace as they both come down. He lays on top of her, conscious of his weight and buries his face in her shoulder. He feels her fingers slowly running through his hair, her breathing slowing as she calms. Her blunt nails scratch against his scalp and he groans, pulling away and dislodging her hand. 

Leonard didn’t particularly want to get up, but if he didn’t he was going to fall asleep on her, and he was sure neither of them would appreciate the consequences of that come morning. She protests as he pulls away, whining when he chuckles in response. She was nearly asleep when he got up, standing from the bed and heading for the bathroom. He returns in less than a minute to find Sara sprawled out on the bed. He stands in the doorway watching her, marveling at her beauty. 

“Mmmm, come back to bed.” she insists when she finally notices him. He does, crawling in beside her as she pulls the blankets around her. “What are you staring at?” she asks, when she realizes he’s still watching her. 

“You’re so beautiful.” he replies. 

She blushes, pulling the blankets up higher. 

“You already said that.” 

“I bares repeating.” 

She shakes her head like she can’t believe him, and turns over, curling into his side. He wraps his arms around her and settles down as well. She’ll have to leave in the morning, not because he wants her to, but because she doesn’t belong here. Her life is in California, and there’s so much waiting for her, no matter what she decides to do. In the morning he’ll go back to his life, his detour over. He’ll see his sister, his best friend and he’ll continue on, hopefully a little wiser than before. She’ll head back out on the road, see the country and then head home, hopefully with a plan of her own. 

And maybe they’ll keep in touch, but he kind of doubts it. He won’t mourn that loss though, not when the time spent with her, as limited as it was will stick with him for a long time to come.

xXx

_ Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together _

_ I've got some real estate here in my bag _

_ So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner's pies _

_ And we walked off to look for America _

_ Cathy, I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh _

_ Michigan seems like a dream to me now _

_ It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw _

_ I've gone to look for America _

 

_ Laughing on the bus, playing games with the faces _

_ She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy _

_ I said, be careful, his bowtie is really a camera _

_ Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat _

_ We smoked the last one an hour ago _

_ So I looked at the scenery _

_ She read her magazine _

_ And the moon rose over an open field _

 

_ Cathy, I'm lost, I said though I knew she was sleeping _

_ And I'm empty and aching and I don't know why _

_ Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike _

_ They've all come to look for America _

_ All come to look for America _

_ All come to look for America _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the sequel entitled;  
> "For Sara, Whenever I May Find Her"

**Author's Note:**

> I've already started outlining a sequel.


End file.
